The Roots of Endurance

When I as growing up, some of the most memorable books my parents read to me were missionary biographies. I remember some of them just as clearly as the great fiction works like the Chronicles of Narnia. Those memories convince me that I want to share the same sorts of treasures with our children.

The Roots of Endurance is a great example of one of the books that I want to read to Elisabeth when she is older (while I find more age appropriate literature until then). Not only does John Piper survey the lives of John Newton, Charles Simeon and William Wilberforce in a way that can capture the imagination of readers, he also interprets their lives in terms of what enabled them to endure through truly difficult circumstances. What could be better for children (or their parents!) than to read accounts of Christians who have found Christ faithful unto death - and learn how to endure in faith as they did? (This book is part of a series of mini-biographies that I highly recommend. They can also be viewed online for free, or you can listen to Piper presenting them at the Desiring God conferences.)

I'm a slow reader (hence the City of God took me over six months), but The Roots of Endurance took me only 4 days. It is a great way to meet the author of Amazing Grace, the man who fought for and finally achieved the abolition of slavery in Great Britain, and one whose influence reached far beyond Trinity Church, Cambridge, where he persevered for fifty-four years.

This is a great place for parents to start with missionary biographies!